The beaches

Keeping yourself amused while visiting Paraty should be no problem, even if you quickly exhaust the possibilities of the town itself. From the Praia do Pontal on the other side of the Perequé-Açu River, and from the port quay, schooners leave for the beaches of Paraty-Mirim, Jurumirim, Lula and Picinguaba. In fact, there are 65 islands and about two hundred beaches to choose from, and anyone can tell you which are the current favourites. Tickets for trips out to the islands, typically costing R$30 per person, leave Paraty at noon, stop at three or four islands for swimming opportunities and return at 6pm. These trips can be pretty rowdy affairs, with the larger boats capable of carrying several dozen people and usually blaring out loud music. Alternatively, for around R$250 (or R$150 in the low season) you can easily charter a small fishing boat suitable for three to five passengers.

You can reach some of the mainland beaches by road – ask at the tourist office for details of bus times. If you’re really feeling energetic, you can hire a mountain bike for R$35 a day from Paraty Tours at Av. Roberto Silveira 11, who also supply maps marked with suggested itineraries covering beaches, mountains or forests. They can also arrange car rental for around R$140 a day.

Seventeen kilometres southwest of Paraty, including 8km along an unpaved road (which should be avoided following heavy rains), is Paraty-Mirim, an attractive bay with calm water ideal for swimming. There are six buses each day from Paraty, with a journey time of about 45 minutes. Although there are a couple of bars serving food, there’s nowhere to stay at the beach. Roughly halfway between the beach and the main road, however, is the Vila Volta (t 24/9815-7689, w www.vilavolta.com.br; R$121-180), a rustic but comfortable pousada run by a Dutch and Brazilian couple; here you’ll find a friendly reception, an extremely peaceful setting, excellent Dutch-Indonesian-Brazilian food, trails and natural swimming pools.

Some of the best beaches are near the village of Trindade, 21km southwest of Paraty and reached by a steep, but good, winding road (7 buses daily; 45min). Sandwiched between the ocean and Serra do Mar, Trindade has reached the physical limits of growth, the dozens of inexpensive pousadas, holiday homes, camping sites, bars and restaurants crammed with tourists in the peak summer season. The main beach is nice enough, but you’re better off walking away from the village across the rocky outcrops to Praia Brava or Praia do Meio, where the only signs of development on what are some of the most perfect mainland beaches on this stretch of coast are simply a few bars. The best (though hardly luxurious) place to stay is the Pousada do Pelé (t 24/3371-5125; R$121–260), which is situated right on the beach and has rooms that sleep two to four people. There are numerous modest pousadas slightly back from the beach, all with private bathrooms: try the Agua do Mar (t 24/3371-5210; R$121-180), the Pouso Trindade (t 24/3371-5121; R$71-120), or the Ponta da Trindade (t 24/3371-5113; R$71-120), which also has space to pitch a tent.

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